Platforms and racks for storing and shipping glass sheets are known in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,145,083; 8,025,161; 7,648,035; 7,510,091; 6,626,619; 6,102,206; 4,127,071; and 3,244,120, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The term glass sheets as used herein refers to monolithic glass sheets, laminated glass sheets, flat glass sheets, heat treated glass sheets, annealed glass sheets, coated glass sheets, uncoated glass sheets, and/or any other suitable type of glass sheets.
Some current designs use a fixed A-frame on a modified rail car, or use an intermodal. Current rail cars typically are open-top gondolas that generally need to be loaded by cranes. It will be appreciated, however, that open designs leave sheets unprotected. Customized fixed frames can increase costs and also reduce flexibility. Open designs also may not protect glass sheets to the degree desired and/or needed. The use of cranes can require specialized and dedicated machinery, as well as a significant amount of dedicated space for loading/unloading operations. These issues can be exaggerated as glass sizes increase, e.g., even before current so-called “jumbo lite” sizes are reached.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for an improved structure for stabilizing and shipping glass sheets, especially when so-called “jumbo” glass sheets are involved. Certain example embodiments address these and/or other concerns.
In certain example embodiments, a rack adapted to hold a plurality of glass sheets is provided. A plurality of upright members are spaced apart from one another, with each of the upright members having upper and lower ends, and with the upright members being thicker at the respective lower ends compared to the respective upper ends and tapering in thickness along a height direction. A plurality of base members extend outwardly and generally perpendicularly from respective upright members, with the base members having a thickness that increases moving outwardly from the upright members so as to form an acute or right angle between innermost surfaces of the upright members and uppermost surfaces of the base members. The rack alone is self-standing as an L-frame rack, and wherein the rack is arrangeable back-to-back with another rack of the same type to form a mutually-supporting A-frame rack.
According to certain example embodiments, first and second tubular members may be provided substantially in line with the base members and on opposing sides of a central axis of the rack, with the first and second tubular members being sized, shaped, and arranged to permit the rack to be moved by receiving forks from a forklift and/or fork truck.
According to certain example embodiments, first and second sets of arms may be provided to the outermost upright members, with the first and second sets of arms being positioned to reduce lateral movement of glass sheets provided to the rack.
In certain example embodiments, a kit is provided. A rack adapted to hold a plurality of glass sheets comprises a plurality of upright members that are spaced apart from one another, with each of the upright members having upper and lower ends, and with the upright members being thicker at the respective lower ends compared to the respective upper ends and tapering in thickness along a height direction; and a plurality of base members extending outwardly and generally perpendicularly from respective upright members, with the base members having a thickness that increases moving outwardly from the upright members so as to form an acute or right angle between innermost surfaces of the upright members and uppermost surfaces of the base members. A plurality of bridges are connectable at lower ends thereof to respective base members of the rack outside an outermost glass sheet provided to the rack, with the bridges being arrangeable generally in parallel with the upright members and having upper ends extending to a height corresponding to upper ends of the upright members when the bridges are connected to the base members. The rack alone may be self-standing as an L-frame rack, and the rack may be arrangeable back-to-back with another rack of the same type to form a mutually-supporting A-frame rack.
According to certain example embodiments, the bridges may be engagable with openings in and/or grooves of the base members of the rack, and/or may be configured to engage with outer lips of the base members of the rack.
According to certain example embodiments, a plurality of spacers are included in the kit, with the spacers being providable between adjacent glass sheets.
Methods of making and/or using racks are also contemplated herein. This includes, for example, moving glass sheets/racks, loading and/or unloading racks, using the kits, etc.
In this regard, in certain example embodiments, a method of moving glass sheets is provided. A rack includes a plurality of upright members that are spaced apart from one another, with each of the upright members having upper and lower ends, and with the upright members being thicker at the respective lower ends compared to the respective upper ends and tapering in thickness along a height direction; a plurality of base members extending outwardly and generally perpendicularly from respective upright members, with the base members having a thickness that increases moving outwardly from the upright members so as to form an acute or right angle between innermost surfaces of the upright members and uppermost surfaces of the base members; and first and second sets of arms provided to the outermost upright members, with the first and second sets of arms being provided to reduce lateral movement of glass sheets provided to the rack. Glass sheets are loaded onto the rack. A plurality of bridges are placed on the rack, with the bridges at lower ends thereof engaging with respective base members of the rack outside an outermost glass sheet provided to the rack, and with the bridges, once placed, being generally parallel with the upright members and having upper ends extending to a height corresponding to upper ends of the upright members when the bridges are connected to the base members. Lateral movement of the loaded glass sheets is restricted using a first set of fasteners in connection with the arms. Front-to-back movement of the loaded glass sheets is restricted using a second set of fasteners in connection with the bridges.
In certain example embodiments, a method of shipping glass sheets is provided, with the method comprising having a plurality of racks according to loaded with glass sheets, with one or more first racks of the plurality of racks being positioned back-to-back with one or more counterpart second racks of the plurality of racks along a central longitudinal axis of a truck bed or rail car.
According to certain example embodiments, the racks may be loaded onto and/or unloaded from a truck bed or rail car. For instance, the glass sheets may be shipped via open rail car, with an area defined where upper ends of upright members of racks placed back-to-back serving as a central beam for the open rail car.
The features, aspects, advantages, and example embodiments described herein may be combined to realize yet further embodiments.